Reprinted from the NJEA Reporter, June 2004
NJEA’s Great Public Schools initiative is coming to life at the Lincoln School Annex in New Brunswick. There, in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood, the Academy Project is bringing hope and success to students and their families.
The Academy Project, now completing its first year to rave reviews, is a research-based reform project, jointly run by NJEA, the New Brunswick Education Association, and the New Brunswick Board of Education.
The five-year pilot project has implemented a range of proven reforms, including small class sizes (15 or fewer students); high quality professional development; after school and summer enrichment programs for students; a formal process for shared decision-making on educational issues; and extensive family involvement and outreach.
The latter is a key. Full-time Family Liaison Marlon Usuna, a graduate of New Brunswick Public Schools, uses a personal approach to bolster parent participation.
“I meet parents in the mornings when they drop off their children,” he says, “to see if they have questions about what’s going on in school, and explain how important it is to stay involved with their child’s education.”
One of the school’s many innovations is “Suds to Success.” A local business donated a washer/dryer to the school, which parents can use free of charge – while visiting the school and meeting with teachers and staff.
The staff’s enthusiasm is infectious, thanks to shared decision making and excellent professional development. “I have great confidence that this project is going to work,” says the project’s full-time facilitator, veteran teacher Susanne Clark. “It’s a true partnership of students, parents, staff, the district, and the community.”
NJEA believes the project – the centerpiece of its Great Public Schools initiative – can become a model for other districts.